ATM Safety Management Conference: sharing goals, sharing ideas

For a network to be safe, all the nodes have to interface effectively. This thought underpinned the sixth CEO Safety Conference, “ATM Safety Performance: do you know how to interface?”.

24 CEOs and 50 other delegates – safety directors and other senior executives from Europe’s air navigation service providers (ANSPs) – met in Limassol, Cyprus, on 28 – 29 February 2012 to discuss how best to manage safety performance and the interfaces at national, regional and Functional Airspace Blocks (FABs) level as well as with the network as a whole.

Mr Efthemios Flourentzou, Minister of Communications and Works of the Republic of Cyprus, opened the conference, stressing his strong belief that sharing is paramount: sharing efforts in managing air safety and sharing common safety goals. In the European context, he observed, this can be achieved through participation in and contribution to EUROCONTROL’s programmes and activities.

Effective interface, the delegates agreed, is essential. As Jacques Dopagne, EUROCONTROL’s Director Network Management, pointed out: “This interaction needs to take place at many levels – national, FAB and regional – as well as with the Commission, EASA and the Network Manager.

“We have to share service provision’s know-how, experience and input; we have to safeguard regulators’ ability to define complete, realistic and good regulations which then have to be managed, monitored and constantly improved.“

“There is a final, single, common goal which is maintaining the current stringent safety levels and enhancing them, against the backdrop of day-to-day operations.”

The delegates concluded that value is more important than mere cost reduction. Although it is not possible to decree a safety culture for FABs, a common safety culture can be achieved through shared projects and solid cooperation. It was recognised that constructive dialogue between the National Supervisory Authorities and ANSPs was essential and still needs to be extended. Finally participants underlined that safety and safety management remain the absolute priority for European ANSPs.